Patna: RJD chief Lalu Prasad Tuesday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to inculcate the "Gandhian way of austerity" by travelling in general compartments of trains before asking others to follow suit.
"Mere suggestions on the contentious issue will not suffice," Prasad said here.
"People at the top, including Gandhi and Singh, besides Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and others should inculcate the Gandhian way of austerity and his austere lifestyle so that the thought percolates to the lower level", he said.
Asking Gandhi and Singh to first take a lead and start
travelling by trains "in third class or general bogies" in
keeping with the practice of the Father of the nation, Prasad
said "if they start inculcating austere lifestyle and become
frugal, others will definitely follow suit".
When asked whether he was saying this out of sarcasm,
the former Railway minister replied. "I am saying this with
all seriousness".
"Mahatma Gandhi always preferred to travel in third class compartments... and remained frugal throughout his
life", the former Bihar chief minister said.
On Congress president`s plan to fly economy class and
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee`s recent travel in
the same class from New Delhi to Kolkata, he said "there should
not be any flight business as it also entails a heavy
burden on exchequer."
"Even the Central and state ministers besides people
holding higher position should try to travel in third class or
general bogies instead of flying or travelling in
air-conditioned comfort", he said, adding it would also
benefit the Railways a lot.
"The travel in the third class will also come in handy
for Mamata `bahen` (Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee) in
saving substantial revenue for the Railways," he remarked.
"The top leaders should also eschew hiring aircraft and
helicopters for election campaign and instead go for a regular
train ride in third class coaches... we should also shun joyous
car-rides and undertake padyatras rather," Prasad said.
In reply to a question, the RJD leader said he had
"always been famous for austere lifestyle and simplicity. I
firmly believe in culture of khadi and Mahatma Gandhi is my
ideal", he said.
Asked whether he would stop travel by air in response to
the austerity call, Prasad said "I think all MPs will follow
people at the top (Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh)".
Bureau Report
